Civil servants expect increased salaries

Civil Service Trade Union (CSTU) and Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) have said they expect the newly elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led administration to respond favourably to their proposed salary increments.

The two unions on several occasions in the past engaged the previous administration to immediately review their salaries to match with the cost of living.

Without saying how much was proposed, CSTU president Servace Sakala said in an interview yesterday they hope the proposed salary increment will be included in the 2014/15 National Budget.

“The contents [of the proposed salary] are still not for public information until they are included and presented for discussion, but what I can tell you is that they are within reasonable and attainable range,” he said.

CSTU and government, through the Government Negotiating Team (GNT), have been holding talks since the union issued a seven-day ultimatum in March, asking government to implement a long-overdue midterm salary review.

The petition followed a June 2013 agreement between GNT and CSTU which recommended consideration for a mid-year salary review during the midterm budget review in February.

But the review did not take place following donors’ withdrawal of budgetary support after revelations of massive theft of government funds.

In a press statement jointly issued by CSTU and TUM, the unions said they are hopeful the discussed (salary) amendments have been incorporated in the National Budget for discussion and approval by the National Assembly.

“It is our hope the enactment of the public service remuneration board which civil servants have been crying for will be prioritised within the current sitting of Parliament as it is already highly featured in the DPP manifesto,” reads the statement in part.